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<title>A Cruel Illusion by My_Alter_Ego</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27629501">A Cruel Illusion</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Alter_Ego/pseuds/My_Alter_Ego'>My_Alter_Ego</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>White Collar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A short story about love, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:29:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27629501</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Alter_Ego/pseuds/My_Alter_Ego</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal never stops searching for Kate, and that causes concern in all the people who care about him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey &amp; Mozzie, Neal Caffrey/Kate Moreau, Peter Burke &amp; Neal Caffrey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Cruel Illusion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter and Mozzie had little in common, except that both men were acutely attuned to Neal’s moods and nuances, and both were concerned about a dark haired vixen who liked toying with his head. Mozzie had spotted that dangerous peril years ago, telling his young friend that Kate would end up being his ruination.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to get my heart broken, Moz,” Neal had said as earnestly as any starry-eyed lover.</p>
<p>Now, here they were, and Mozzie couldn’t bring himself to remind Neal that Kate had been the reason he had been captured, not once, but twice, and thrown in the clink. What came next was even more worrisome. These days, Mozzie saw how Neal’s shoulders would suddenly tense, his head turn sharply, or his eyes dart across a street if a young woman with long dark hair passed. Neal was still searching for Kate, probably until she let herself be found. To Mozzie, she was a cruel siren with too much power.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>“Neal’s playing by the rules for now,” Peter told Elizabeth one evening, “but all bets are off if or when he finds Kate. He’s just killing time multitasking until he figures out where she is.”</p>
<p>“She really has that much power over Neal—enough that he would risk being a three-time loser and going away for life after you catch him again?” El wanted to know.</p>
<p>“Neal’s brilliant brain turns to mush when it comes to a long-lost love. I see him lose focus on the street from time to time because his attention is suddenly riveted on a girl that he thinks might be her.”</p>
<p>“That is just so sad,” El said softly. “Can’t you use your resources to help him find her so he can stop living in limbo?”</p>
<p>Peter grimaced as he confessed, “I did find her once and actually pinned her down. The wily minx wouldn’t answer my question of <em>‘Did you ever love him?’</em> So what does that say about her character?”</p>
<p>“Did you tell him that?” El asked sadly.</p>
<p>“I’m a lot of things to Neal, but I don’t want to be the cruel messenger delivering devastating news. He probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.”</p>
<p>“Neal deserves so much better,” El fretted.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he does,” Peter murmured, never knowing that he and Mozzie actually agreed on something. </p>
<p> </p>
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